Building on longstanding ties, Pomona College will once again have a physical presence in Pomona with the October 14 opening of a new community center in the city’s downtown Arts Colony.
The college held its first classes in September 1888 in a cottage near downtown Pomona, but moved to Claremont the next year after a hotel building was offered to house the new school.
The Pomona College name stayed, however, and over the decades the college built relationships with its namesake city through tutoring and arts programs in schools, service programs for teens, and faculty members’ research and engagement in the community.
Now comes a new step. Located in the city’s vibrant Arts Colony, the Pomona College Community Engagement Center will offer after-school activities for teens such as games, art projects, tutoring and workshops on college access and post-high-school options, wellness topics and more.
A public grand opening celebration is set for 5 p.m. Saturday, October 14 at the center, located at 163 W. Second Street in Pomona near Garey Avenue. Immediately following the opening celebration, the downtown Pomona ArtWalk event in the area will be in full swing. The doors to the Community Engagement Center will be open for all to enjoy family friendly activities.
The initial hours for afterschool activities at the center will be 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That’s just a start. After holding some initial focus groups, the college will continue gathering input and ideas from community members about what they would like to see at the center.
In the future, Pomona faculty will hold classes at the center, which also will host workshops on topics such as identifying and writing grants, first-time home-buying, and college access and financial aid. In time, offerings will expand to provide help for nonprofit organizations to conduct community-based research in the city.
“We are here to serve and strengthen our ties with the people of Pomona, particularly the youth,” said Sefa Aina, the college’s associate dean responsible for community engagement. “We want this to be a place that builds community, supports learning and serves nonprofits and other Pomona organizations.”
Municipal boundaries aside, Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr says the center is a tangible example of the College’s commitment to its namesake city. “Pomona College aims to expand opportunity in education and for society as a whole, and we see this center in the Arts Colony as a natural place to partner with the community to promote learning, creativity and a sense of connection.”
The location is particularly fitting since the Pomona Arts Colony was co-founded by Pomona College alumnus Ed Tessier, who also helped launch the nearby School of Arts and Enterprise. The College is renting the space from Tessier’s firm, Arteco Partners.
“The college moved to Claremont in 1888, but the Pomona College family always remained engaged here, making a difference,” says Tessier. “Those efforts will only grow in ambition and impact now that scholars, residents, visionaries and volunteers can work together in one space.”
City-college connections abound in Pomona’s downtown. About five blocks to the north stands Pilgrim Congregational, the church that founded the nonsectarian college. The American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA), started by college alumnus David Armstrong, is even closer. A nearby downtown mural depicts scientific pioneer Jennifer Doudna, the first Pomona College graduate to win a Nobel Prize.
The late civil rights champion and Pomona College alumnus Ignacio Lopez, who fought discrimination against Latinos in the region from the 1930s to 1960s, published his influential El Espectador newspaper from his Pomona home less than a mile from the center. And nine or so blocks southwest from the center stands a plaque marking where the college held its first classes in Ayer Cottage.
“Pomona is in our very name,” says Aina, “And we are proud to be back in Pomona in this new way.”
ABOUT POMONA COLLEGE
Pomona College is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading liberal arts colleges, offering an ideal environment for intellectually curious students to pursue their academic and life goals. Established in 1887, the College is in Claremont, and is the founding member of The Claremont Colleges.
Pomona holds a unique role in creating opportunity in American higher education and is committed to enrolling the best students regardless of financial circumstances. To that end, Pomona College is one of a small group of colleges committed to meeting the full demonstrated financial need of all students who enroll.
ABOUT DRAPER CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
The downtown storefront space will be operated by Pomona College’s Draper Center for Community Partnerships, which has a long history of engagement in Pomona.
The Draper Center embodies the longstanding vision of Pomona College to support learning through service, collaboration and change-making in our local communities.
The Draper Center is named in recognition of the generosity and support of Ranney Draper, Pomona College Class of 1960, his wife, Priscilla, and the Draper Family Foundation.